early 15c., denunciacioun, "act of declaring or stating something" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin denunciacionem / denuntiationem (nominative denuntiatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of denuntiare "to announce, proclaim; denounce, menace; command, order," from de "down" (see de-) + nuntiare "proclaim, announce," from nuntius "messenger" (from PIE root *neu- "to shout"). Meaning "a charge, a solemn or formal declaration accompanied by a menace" is mid-15c.